Julian Champagnie’s breakout was supposed to be last season, when he finally made the leap to a full-time starter on the San Antonio Spurs.
In seasons past, he was an undrafted free agent, two-way player, non-guaranteed contract signee, starter for a putrid Spurs team, bench player, and then, finally, starter in the postseason. It was a long journey, but in many ways, it was perfectly Spursy.
Last season, Champagnie posted career-highs in every major statistical category. The Spurs rewarded him with a three-year, $45 million contract. It would seem that he had found his role.
Then, this offseason, the Spurs signed Tobias Harris. He isn’t as good of a shooter as Champagnie is, but he’s solid and is expected to be the starting power forward. With that, Champagnie has been demoted back to the second unit just as he got used to having a steady role.
It’s probably the best thing that could have happened to him.
The Stage Is Set for Julian Champagnie
Last year, Champagnie’s most-seen lineup was alongside Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Devin Vassell. The Spurs’ starting lineup.
Only two of those players, Vassell and Champagnie, were above-average 3-point shooters. Sure, the downhill gravity of Fox and Castle, as well as the mere presence of Wembanyama, created plenty of open looks, but more often than not, a defender could stay on the perimeter.
Assuming that Dylan Harper remains an elite shooter, a bench unit of Harper, Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Luke Kornet has three above-average shooters, with Bryant realistically being the fourth.
Last season, when Champagnie shared the floor with any two of the Spurs’ best shooters (Vassell, Johnson, Barnes), his individual 3-point percentage went up a few ticks. Having more shooting options around him helps him find the basket, and with the second unit, there should be no shortage of firepower.
Last season, Champagnie broke out as one of the better rebounding wings in the NBA, although that was more out of necessity than anything else. After all, in the starting five, Wemby was the only true paint presence.
Surrounded by Johnson, Kornet, and Bryant, Champagnie should be able to focus on his best weapon: his shooting. No longer will he have to allocate energy and resources to covering up his teammates’ weaknesses. That’s not to say that the bench is better than the starters, but it is better-suited for Champagnie’s strengths.
Paying $15 million annually for a bench player–and not even the best one on the roster–is a head-scratching decision, but with the versatility and value Champagnie provides, along with his inevitable improvement, it was a smart choice by the Spurs.
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